


What a Punderful World

by EtoilesJaunes



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: ...pretend those last two tags are in the right order, F/M, Identity Reveal, Marinette does appreciate puns, Sweet Summer Children, they just have to come from the right person, they won't fix themselves
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-25
Updated: 2018-04-25
Packaged: 2019-04-27 14:46:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,043
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14427738
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EtoilesJaunes/pseuds/EtoilesJaunes
Summary: When Marinette decides to share a joke she'd heard at school with her other pun-loving friend, the one in the leather suit, she doesn't realize the consequences of pun thievery.





	What a Punderful World

“Hey, Nino, do you want some grapes? I’m not in the mood for purple ones today.”

“Yeah, man, thanks!”

Adrien passed his friend the bunch of purple grapes, keeping the green ones for himself. He snuck a glance at the two girls sitting side by side, one on her phone, and the other lazily sketching. Nothing exciting was happening, but the comfort and happiness felt so _real_ that he couldn’t help the warmth that spread through his chest. He thanked _whatever_ was out there for what felt like the thousandth time (that week, and it was only Tuesday) for giving him such amazing friends.

Marinette seemed to sense him looking and glanced up, meeting his eyes. He offered her a small smile before turning back to Nino. A dramatic, obviously staged expression of horror took place of his smile as he pointed at his friend’s fruit.

“Nino! Your grapes! They’re—” Nino picked up the fruit in question and held them closer to his face, obviously confused.

“They’re what?”

“They’re _purple!_ They must not be getting enough oxygen! We have to save them!” He rushed one of his grapes over to Nino’s, beginning to mime CPR. “We’re losing him!”

From the side, he heard an adorable giggle and looked up to see Marinette trying to hide a smile behind her hand. Adrien let his ridiculous expression slip for a second, a delighted smile gracing his lips before turning to one of mock disappointment.

“Marinette! How can you be laughing at a time like this? There are _lives_ at stake!”

Marinette bit her lip, trying to regain composure. “You’re absolutely right. I’m so sorry.”

The boy continued with his playful task, and the girl continued staring at him with a slightly star-struck expression. Neither noticed the gaze Alya flicked between them before raising an eyebrow at Nino, who shrugged in response.

* * *

 

 _“Chaton?”_ came Ladybug’s call, soft but echoing across the Parisian rooftops. She rattled the box of pastries as if that would entice him to come out from wherever he was hiding. She tilted her head, listening. “Oh, well,” she said, too loudly to be to herself. “I guess he doesn’t want his treats.”

She waited a beat, then spun around and grabbed the wrist she knew would be there, just about to touch her shoulder.

“Gotcha again,” she winked before releasing him. It was part of their routine, now, the casual flirting. After the incident with Glaciator and the following rooftop scene, he’d backed off with the heavy flirting, completely respecting her wishes. She, in turn, opened up to him more, knowing that the puns and teasing were never going to _completely_ stop. She even started contributing to the banter once in a while, when she was in the mood.

“Hungry?” she asked, opening the box.

“Always.” He stepped closer and made a big show of leaning down to inhale the scent of fresh-baked goods. Ladybug giggled as she pulled out a bag of grapes and sat down. He grabbed a croissant and reclined next to her.

“Do you want some?” He looked over to find a bunch of purple grapes dangling in front of his nose. He looked past them at his partner to find her lips pressed together and her eyes glinting mischievously. His own eyes squinted in playful suspicion before he accepted the offered food.

Slowly, exaggerating the movement, he plucked one off the stem and cautiously popped it into his mouth. Biting down revealed it to be a sweet but normal grape. He didn’t understand why she looked like she was struggling to hold back laughter. Looking at the grapes again, he noticed something. “Why is there a frowny face on this one?”

This was obviously some kind of cue for her. “Oh, my God, _Chat!_ Your grapes! They’re purple!”

Chat’s face froze as a wave of deja vu hit him.

_There’s no way…_

Ladybug continued, oblivious to the internal panic attack he was having. She had a green grape in her fingers, smiley face drawn on with a marker. “They’re not breathing. We have to start CPR immediately,” she said, still grinning as she looked up at him. Her expression faltered upon seeing his. “Chat? Is everything alright?”

He snapped out of it then, just in time to perform the best sweeping bow he could while seated. “Everything’s _purr_ fect, my lady. I’m simply in shock that you would grace a simple cat with such a _pun_ derful joke.” He chuckled, trying to keep his voice as lively as he could.

Ladybug’s playful demeanor returned for a moment before her face filled with severe disappointment. “Chat, how can you be laughing at a time like this?”

He knew what her next sentence would be. It was the same one he had said just hours ago over lunch.

“There are _lives_ at stake!”

That night, as he tried to sleep, he kept seeing a bluenette with sapphire eyes, someone kind and smart and funny, someone who wasn’t afraid to stand up to bullies. How could he have been so blind?

He had half a mind to rush over to her family’s bakery — the _bakery,_ was life really going to keep reminding him how many strings he hadn’t connected? — and… And… Ask her to dinner, or _something._ Maybe she’d be more receptive to his civilian form, and later, they would reveal themselves and he would act surprised…

No, no, he hated the idea of lying to his Lady, to Marinette. Another plan started forming in his mind. He just hoped she would fall into the trap.

And he figured it wouldn’t hurt to have some backup, he thought, pulling out his phone.

* * *

 

The next day, the four met for lunch as usual. Adrien purposely sat next to Marinette. About halfway through, he clutched his side, groaning. “Adrien! Are you okay?” she piped up. _Perfect._

“I’ll be fine,” he said with a grimace.

“Are you sure? Do you need a doctor or anything?”

“I would, but…” He couldn’t help the smile playing along the edge of his lips. “The family doctor says he’s been practicing for thirty years. I don’t know if he’s ready to start actually doing his job.”

A frustrated groan came from next to him, and he started laughing, not even deterred when he Marinette punch his arm with more force than she should have been capable of.

When lunch was over, Alya turned to Nino. “Hey, babe, didn’t you have something you wanted to ask Marinette about?”

“What?” There was a quick motion that passed from Alya to her boyfriend and he immediately straightened up. “Oh, yeah! I, uh… Wanted to get your opinion on some music,” he said, leading her away with a questioning look at the red-haired girl, who gave him a thumbs-up.

“So,” Alya started, turning back towards the blond as they followed their friends out of earshot. “You had a question about the Ladyblog? Do you have some exclusive footage or something?”

“Not exactly,” Adrien replied, rubbing the back of his neck. “It’s about something else, actually. I just didn’t know to word it over text. Can you keep a secret? Even from Marinette?”

He could _see_ the shift from Alya to Investigative Journalist Césaire. “Depends on the secret.”

“I’m thinking about asking her out.” The girl was silent next to him, and after a few uncomfortable seconds, he glanced over to find her several steps behind him with a frozen expression. “...Alya?”

“Are you serious? You better not be joking, Agreste. I swear, I will hunt you down and —”

“I’m sure whatever you’ve got planned for me is far from lovely,” he said, talking over her, “But I promise, I’m completely sincere. I guess I just wanted to know if you thought it was worth it, or if I’m just hyping myself up to get rejected.”

Alya snorted at that, seeming to come back to herself as she resumed walking. “Marinette? Refuse you? Maybe if you were like… A zombie, or something. And even then, it would be a solid fifty-fifty.”

“Yeah, but…” He pursed his lips, wondering how to put it. “I heard through the grapevine that she likes someone.”

“You idiot,” Alya laughed, giving him a shove. “That’s _you._ You obviously need a better grapevine.”

“So you think I have a chance?” Adrien allowed himself to smile, hope bubbling in his chest.

“Agreste, saying you have ‘a chance’ is like saying Chloé has a slight problem controlling her temper sometimes. I _know_ she’ll say yes. What took you so long to come around?”

Adrien shrugged, a spring in his step. “I guess I just saw her in a different light. You won’t tell her?”

Alya mimed zipping her lips closed and throwing away the key.

* * *

 

That night, as he met Ladybug for patrol, he could barely contain his excitement. He could only hope she took the bait…

The evening went as smoothly as they always did. Chat and Ladybug talked about random aspects of their day, nothing too personal, though that didn’t deter Chat at all.

In fact, when they were heading back to the Eiffel Tower and he heard a _thud_ where she should have been, he had to keep himself from smiling. He knew what she was doing though, and he could tell the limp she had was fake from a mile away. Chat ran towards her, the picture of friendly concern.

“Ladybug! Are you okay?”

“I’ll be fine, I just —”

“Do you need a doctor?”

She looked up at that, as expected. “I’d say yes, but —”

“My Lady, I know the perfect one, let’s get you to him.” He stepped forward and picked her up in his arms, bridal-style.

“No, Chat, I —”

“Hush, my Lady, you don’t have to be strong for me.”

“It’s not that, it’s —”

“Oh, you have a family doctor? Is mine not good enough?”

“It’s-just-that-my-doctor-has-been-practicing-for-twenty-years-and-I-don’t-know-when-he’ll-start-doing-his-job,” Ladybug half-shouted all in one breath before sighing. “This would have been funnier if you’d let me speak.”

The smirk that had already been half-formed on his face revealed itself in all its glory. “Well, in that case, Bugaboo…” He set her down against a chimney stack, placing his arms on either side of her. “I’ll have you know that em _bell_ zzlement of puns from the Bank of Chat Noir is considered _fur_ dulent behavior.”

Her expression was now clouded over entirely in confusion. “Wha—”

“I’m afraid I’ll have to put you _pun_ der _Agreste._ ”

Ladybug swallowed loudly, something akin to dread in her eyes through the confusion. Suddenly, something clicked and her face cleared. “A… Adrien?”

“The one and only,” he said with a wink.

Her knees promptly gave out. He caught her with a noise of surprise, gently lowering her to the ground. “Oh, my God, I’m so sorry, I didn’t think you would react like this, I—”

“Shh!”

Chat fell silent, instead bringing his hand up to stroke his partner’s hair. After two minutes that seemed like an eternity, she finally spoke.

“So, you’re… Adrien. Agreste.”

“Correct.”

“And you know I’m…”

“Marinette Dupain-Cheng.”

She nodded. “And you’re… okay with that?”

He took her hand in his and raised it to his lips. “I wouldn’t want you to be anyone else. You’re _purr_ fect.”

She was silent for a moment after that, but not the stressful kind like before. “So… What’s my sentence for stealing your puns to say to… you?” she giggled.

“Hmm…” Chat raised his hand to his chin, putting on a display of deep thought. “I suppose you could let me take you to dinner.”

Ladybug straightened up then, a very Marinette-like expression of panic forming. “Me? With dinner you — ah, dinner with you?”

“It was somewhat demeaning, having to play along with the jokes I’d used _literally_ hours before,” he mused. “I kind of need to build myself back up, and that’s the best way I can think of to do it. Are you up for that?”

She could only nod mutely.

“Then you’ve made me the happiest cat in all of Paris.” He winked, standing and extending his baton. “We can work out the details tomorrow at school. See you then, Bugaboo.” He gave her a two-fingered salute and was off, leaving her on the rooftop and praying she wasn’t dreaming.

**Author's Note:**

> follow me on [Tumblr](https://www.etoilesjaunes.tumblr.com) for more! <3


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